New Song: Sleigh Bells, ‘Born to Lose’

Opening with a screech of feedback and a blast of machine gun beats, “Born to Lose” at first feels like more of the same awesomely eardrum-punishing noise-pop we’ve come to expect from Sleigh Bells. But as the song bashes on, the Brooklyn-based duo serves up more than its share of sweet surprises.

The first single off of the band’s sophomore record Reign Of Terror (due out on Valentine’s Day, for all you savage sweethearts out there), “Born to Lose” pairs Derek Miller’s snarly guitar riffs with some extra-tender vocals from Alexis Krauss, especially when her voice goes all little-girl-spooky on the song’s refrain of “Where did you go?” In the final minute of “Born to Lose,” Derek’s guitar turns from piercing to shockingly pretty as Sleigh Bells treats us to a fever-dreamy extended outro.

But don’t worry — Sleigh Bells are hardly getting all soft on us. As evidenced by the Reign Of Terror trailer, the follow-up to their 2010 debut should be every bit the “sonic equivalent of a beautiful shotgun to the head” we were promised in some recently revealed album details. And with track titles like “True Shred Guitar,” “Demons” and “Road to Hell,” it’s sure to be a gorgeously terror-filled Valentine’s Day indeed.